The Ho-Am Foundation (Chairman: Hwang Sik Kim) announced that beginning next year, the prize money awarded to recipients of the Samsung Ho-Am Prize will be substantially increased from the current KRW 300 million to KRW 500 million per recipient. As a result, the total prize money across the six categories will rise from KRW 1.8 billion to KRW 3 billion.
 
The increase is intended to further enhance the standing of the Samsung Ho-Am Prize, widely recognized as one of Korea’s most prestigious awards, while strengthening support for outstanding individuals whose exceptional achievements have contributed to the advancement of humanity and society.
 
In recent years, several Samsung Ho-Am Prize recipients have gone on to receive globally prestigious honors, including the Nobel Prize and the Fields Medal. The Samsung Ho-Am Prize has thus served as an important stepping stone toward international recognition, further demonstrating its stature and credibility as an award.
 
With the increase in prize money, the Samsung Ho-Am Prize is expected to establish an opportunity to match internationally renowned awards not only in the caliber of its recipients but also in the level of recognition and support afforded to them.
 
The Ho-Am Foundation stated that it expects the increase to provide Korean and Korean-origin researchers in science and technology with greater motivation to pursue more challenging research, while also helping to strengthen public interest in and support for the fields of fine arts and social service.

Meanwhile, the Samsung Ho-Am Prize was established in 1990 by the late Lee Kun-Hee, then Chairman of Samsung, to honor the spirit of placing the highest priority on talent and contributing to the public good upheld by ‘Ho-Am’ Lee Byung-Chull.
 
Since the first Ho-Am Prize ceremony in 1991, the Ho-Am Foundation has honored a total of 188 recipients through the 36th awards held this year, presenting a cumulative KRW 37.9 billion in prize money.
 
The prize comprises six categories: ▲Science – Physics and Mathematics ▲Science – Chemistry and Life Sciences ▲Engineering ▲Medicine ▲Arts ▲Social Service. Each year, the foundation recognizes individuals of Korean heritage who have made outstanding contributions to scholarship, the arts, and the advancement of human welfare.
 
Past recipients of the Arts Prize include Nam June Paik, Lee Ufan, Kimsooja, Do Ho Suh, and Lee Bul. Last year, artist Koo Bohnchang became the first photographer to receive the award.
 
The Ho-Am Foundation is accepting nominations for the 37th Samsung Ho-Am Prize through the end of October this year. Further information on the nomination process is available on the Ho-Am Foundation’s website.
 
Following a multi-stage evaluation by experts in Korea and abroad, the recipients will be announced in April 2027, with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place in June of the same year.

References

• 호암재단 보도자료 (Ho-Am Foundation Press Release)